VIGIL DVR Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IP camera?
IP is an abbreviation for Internet Protocol, it is the most common
protocol for communication over computer networks and the internet.
IP Camera is a camera that creates digitized video streams and
transfers via a wired or wireless IP network, enabling monitoring
and video recording as far away as the network reaches.
Can I use my old security cameras mixed with new ones?
Yes, the VIGIL series of DVR’s can record any combination of
analog or I.P. cameras.
How far from the DVR can I place security cameras?
Analog cameras using RG59 Coaxial Cable, can be placed up to 600
feet from the computer and up to 1,000 feet with RG6 Coax. An I.P.
camera using CAT5 cable is limited to 100m. (note: design
considerations can increase all the lengths above)
Can I use wireless transmission from security cameras to
computer instead of cables?
It depends on the range, frequency and type of the transmitter/receiver
units, the conditions under which they are to be used and the
number of units you want to use. Most transmitter/receivers today
are 2.4GHz units. This high frequency has the advantage of longer
range per power unit but only in clear line of sight.
Does wireless work as good as or better than cables?
No, a wireless system is never as reliable as a hardwired system.
What are the applications for IP camera?
IP cameras are an effective substitute for analog cameras. IP
cameras are easily connected to existing IP networks and enable
real-time updates of high-quality video to be accessible from any
computers on the network. Any remote site can be closely
monitored in a cost-effective and simple way, over the local
network or via the internet.
How many cameras can be connected to one DVR?
DVRs generally come with 4, 8, 16, or 32 camera inputs. The DVR
will allow you to view all of these images at once or one at a
time and all of the video is saved to the hard drive.
How much bandwidth does an IP Camera need?
It depends on both the resolution and frame rate. It also depends
on the compression technology the IP camera is using. Below are
three of the most popular compression technologies.
What is Aztec video encoding?
The AZTECH™ compression algorithm is proprietary to the 3xLogic
VIGIL DVR’s. It is used to record very large file sizes (pictures)
associated with mega pixel IP based cameras. IP based mega pixel
cameras are the latest technology in digital video recording.
Presently they account for 35% of all Camacc’s camera sales.
AZTECH™ records the changes in the picture. There is no need to
waste disk space and record pixels that have not changed from the
previous image. Typically a 135Kb image is now recorded to disk
as a 19.3Kb file. By recording images in this way you can see
this algorithm allows for substantially more images to be
recorded to the disk, most of the time only a fraction of the
pixels change between images and we simply don’t need to record
redundant pixel information. When this camera is reviewed, the
human eye sees a fluent picture and cannot detect that only
motion pixels were recorded between variable full frames.
What is MJPEG video encoding?
Motion JPEG (MJPEG) is a video encoding where each frame of video
is captured and compressed into a separate JPEG image. The
resulting quality of video compression is independent from the
motion in the image.
What is MPEG4 video encoding?
The Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) released MPEG-4 encoding
in 1998. The basic idea behind MPEG is that compressed images are
compared before being transmitted over the network. The first
compressed image is used as a reference and compared to the
images that follow it in the video sequence. The first image is
transmitted over the network along with the parts of the
following images that differ from the initial reference image.
The viewing application on the receiving end of the transmission
then reconstructs all images based on this information and
displays the result. This is a simplified description of how
MPEG-4 works.
What would be a normal frame rate for recording a security
camera?
Video security systems are generally intended to allow the image
capturing of intruders and crime perpetrators. The purpose of
these systems is not to make movie quality videos. Recording
rates of 1 or 2 frames per second will catch virtually any
criminal act. Even at these frame rates, and all recording on
motion, the compressed video files produced are multi-Gigabytes
per day.
How many days/weeks of recording can I store?
This depends on how big is your hard drive, how many cameras are
you using and under what conditions are you recording (on motion,
on alarm, continuously, etc.) and what type of compression you
are using.
Since hard drives are now relatively inexpensive, it pays to use
as big a capacity drive as possible (and/or multiple drives) if
you are concerned with storing many weeks of recordings before
overwriting.
What happens when my hard disk is full?
The system will begin to overwrite the recorded image files,
oldest first.
How do I set up a camera and lens for use in Low Light
conditions?
When setting the back focus of a Colour camera for low light
conditions you need to simulate night conditions. You can choose
to focus the cameras at night or you can place an ND1 (Neutral
Density) filter in front of the lens. If you choose not to back
focus the cameras, you may have clear sharp picture during the
day but it will be out of focus at night.
What is Client Software?
A separate piece of software that can be installed on any
internet connected, remotely located PC allowing you to view and
re-view the cameras on your DVR.
What is Server Software?
The video software installed on your DVR.
What is the difference between a PC-based DVR and an Embedded
DVR?
A PC-based digital video recorder a computer that has been
‘commercialized’ with hardware and software to work as a DVR. The
PC-based digital video recorders are easier to interact with
because you use the on-screen menus with a standard mouse and
keyboard.
An embedded DVR is a machine with one circuit board with software
burned into the chip. The software is often written in basic
machine code or Linux code. You interact with an embedded DVR,
more like a VCR - via buttons on the front face plate.
There tends to be more features and upgradeable options with the
PC-based DVR’s.
What is 'Smart Search'?
On PC-based VIGIL DVRs, highlight one area of a captured image
and look for changes just to that area. The moment in time when
that particular area changes, is precisely when the item is
removed. You can then instantly view that part of the video.
Do I need motion sensing cameras?
No. All motion sensing is done in our Digital Video Recorders
(DVR’s). The camera just provides the video to the DVR.
Does the DVR record even if I am playing back the video?
Yes, no matter what you are doing on the DVR at anytime it will
continue to record? The only way the cameras will not be
recording is if you go into the system and physically turn them off.
What does NTSC mean?
NTSC is an abbreviation for the National Television Standards
Committee. The term "NTSC video" refers to the video standard
defined by the committee, which has a specifically limited color
gamut, is interlaced, and is approximately 720 x 480 pixels, and
30 frames per second (fps). This standard is used in North America.
What does PAL mean?
PAL is an abbreviation for Phase Alternating Line. This is the
television display standard that is used mainly in Europe, China,
Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, parts of
Africa, and other parts of the world. PAL uses 625 lines per
frame and a frame rate of 25 frames per second.
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